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I love long weekends, don’t you?! This one promises to be extra-great… I have shopping trips, family visits, and a little work planned. Labor day weekend always gets me excited because it signals the winding down of summer. Fall has always been my favorite season, and we have lots to look forward to in the coming months.

{blending beautiful} is going to take a long weekend as well, so I’ll see all of you lovelies back here on Tuesday. But before I go, let’s visit these fun links from around the web, shall we?

Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means the tell-tale signs of fall are just around the corner. With temperatures dropping, we’ll soon be trading sandals for booties, sundresses for layers, and summer brights for fall-like jewel tones.

One of the colors repeated on runways and beauty pages alike is deep plum (i.e. almost-black). From eyes and lips to fingertips, this cool-toned color is oh-so-hot. So, it’s about time to retire summery corals in favor of sophisticated, sexy plum and give your makeup routine some oomph! for the new season.

Yes, dark lips are kind of a tricky makeup choice because you run the risk of the color feathering or transferring onto your glass or (eek!) your guy. But don’t let this stop you from rocking fall’s hottest lip color! To keep your fab new color in place, start out by choosing a lip primer like Too Faced Lip Insurance, which helps lipstick last longer and prevents feathering. Or, opt for Urban Decay’sclearlip pencil.It creates an invisible barrier around the perimeter of your lips so that your lipstick won’t have anything to do but stay put.

If black eyeliner is a bit too much or maybe too ‘been-there-done-that’ for you, why not trade it in for deep purple? It’s softer than black yet still provides definition for your pretty peepers. It looks good on all eye colors but is especially flattering on hazel eyes. If you like pencil eyeliners, try out Too Faced Black Orchid, but if gel eyeliner is your preference, MAC’s Fluidline in Dark Diversionis the perfect blackened plum. Just remember, wear your plum lips and eyes on two different days!

When fall rolls around, I love trading in my neon nails for the total opposite – dark, dark, dark! These vampy shades are bold yet feminine in an edgy sort of way. Black nails are, of course, a fashionable staple but if true black is just a wee too much, give almost-black a try. Endless Night by NARSis your go-to for an ultra-dark plum. For a cooler-hued companion with blue undertones, try Zoya’s Monica. Or, rock Essie’s Velvet Voyage— a deep amethyst with a hint of chocolatey brown.

What’s your take on trading in black for plum? Do you like to experiment with dark, bold colors or do you prefer to stick with understated everyday colors? Tell us what you think below!

I love dogs, but I also recognize that they bring an enormous change to a person’s lifestyle. And the responsibility that comes with waggy tails and smelly kisses is only increased when your living space shrinks down!

Are you thinking about getting a new dog? Or are you and your furry best friend moving to a new place? Here are some things to think about if you want to ensure that your pup is a happy, healthy apartment dweller…

The Space: Finding the right living situation is incredibly important when you have a pet. Not all buildings accept animals, and many now restrict dogs according to their breed. Not only pit bull breeds, which include the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and American Staffordshire Terrier, this list also includes dogs like the Husky, German Shepard, and Dalmation. Others restrict by size, so your lovable Golden Retriever would still be out of the question. Sometimes, if the apartment is small, the dog needs to be too. It makes sense, though, because bigger dogs needs more exercise. Which brings us to…

Exercise: There is literally nothing more important (especially when your dog lives in a confined space) than making sure you give your pup the attention and socializing that they deserve. It’s the worst part about owning a dog for those of us who don’t love mornings or exercise. In the mornings, your dog wakes up rested, and if you don’t want them tearing up your place or barking due to pent-up energy then head outside! If there’s no time for a jog a quick game of fetch in a park will do. I find that putting off exercise never works out for my pup because I’m tired at the end of the day, and the last thing I want to do is head out when it’s getting dark and cold outside.

Crating: It’s a big debate among dog owners whether or not to crate train your dog. The essential idea is to get your dog accustomed to its crate to the point where it is a place of comfort. This enables you to lock your dog up without any negative reactions from them like crying while you’re gone or chewing it open. Some dogs won’t take to it but others may benefit from the training. And you’ll head to work in peace without wondering which shoes you’ll come home to in pieces.

Accessories: Last but not least, I want to leave you with an adorable Etsy treasury of everything you need to have a stylish life with your canine companion.

What are your doggy must-dos? Tips for living in a smaller space? How do you feel about crating? Let us know!

I feel like I’m always sharing little pieces of my life with you all on this blog, but I realized recently that I’ve never really showed you what I do for a living. At the beginning of the summer, I decided to stop working as a marketing copywriter so that I could dedicate myself fully to something else I really love… hair and makeup!

I was doing weddings VERY occasionally on the side, and I wasn’t sure I could make a real career out of it. But the moment I invested in myself and went for it, I had plenty of work! Want to see some of it?

Weddings are my absolute favorite thing to do— there’s nothing more fun than hanging out with a bride and her family right before she’s headed down the aisle…

And more recently, I’ve been doing hair and makeup for photo shoots, which is a LOT of work, but also incredibly fun. (I’ll be sharing some of those photos with you soon!)